X-PLORE, X-PLAIN AND X-PECT

Experimental rock music, avant-garde guitar music, and innovative dance music are merged to a symbiosis with live performances and visual art at State-X New Forms. This year's edition is headlined by "Aphex Twin" (UK) doing a laptop performance, "Jackson and his Computerband" (F) and "Motorpsycho" (NRW) and will take place at December 14th and 15th in The Hague, Holland. Need to day more? If you happen to be around, this one is a must!

Nowadays, it is not easy to describe the developments within the experimental music scene. Renewing artists do not set limits to a specific genre, but draw inspiration from a very wide musical spectrum. Furthermore musicians do not occupy themselves only with music, but also move into the fields of video art, theatre and dancing. Even the dividing line between digital and analogue music – dance versus rock – has blurred. The programmers of State-X New Forms want to fulfil a guide function within these developments, by trying to present a representative picture of the field.

The festifal's programming is characterised by extreme choices. On the one hand there are bands that seek for the borders of admissible loud volume, whereas there is on the other hand attention for intimate, still and acoustic music. On the hard side of the spectrum are the actions of the aforementioned Killl, the American "Sun O)))" (their name refers to the type of ear amplifiers they gladly use) and "Jesu", consisting of members who played in renowned noise bands as "Godflesh" and "Prong".

That intensity not inevitably has to be paired with hard volume proves "Michael Gira".

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